Skye's the Limit
by irwigZO
Summary: The events after episode five. Skye is really depressed about the team ignoring her and losing everything she had on her parents. There is a mission to complete though and this one is tough. Can Skye handle it? Skyward. Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel agents of shield.
1. Chapter 1

Not many people had shown her kindness in life but these people had. Skye felt unbearably sad and ashamed for disrespecting her team. She had gone into this thinking she would never get attached again. Not like the last time she dared to let someone in. She remembered too vividly the pain of having a family ripped away from her. Foster parent after foster parent, no one wanted to keep her. She went through life thinking no one could ever love her until now. Why was it that she always realized the painfully obvious when it was too late? She already had a family, hiding in plain sight. Coulson was the father she never had while Fitz and Simmons were the younger siblings that she teased endlessly. May was the know it all older sister or auntie. And Ward was… What was Ward in her SHIELD family? He wasn't the brother. That just felt creepy. The title Uncle too felt strange on the man she had grown to care so much for. Perhaps he was the loyal dog. It was too late for that now though. Her little game of happy families was ruined. She stared down at the shining metallic bracelet that was stuck on her wrist. She had played with fire and had gotten burnt in the process.

She hadn't left her bunk in over a week, only to use the bathroom. She had no interest in food or water. She would probably be dead if Simmons hadn't been leaving jugs of water and limp sandwiches outside her door. She refused to eat though, it had been something she did when she was younger and in the care system. Whenever she got in trouble, serious trouble, she refused to speak to anyone and holed up in her room for days on end until eventually being put on a drip for dehydration and moved to a care facility that supposedly 'better suited her needs'.

It wasn't just the fact that the majority of the team ignored her that had her so depressed. She no longer had any link to her parents. She knew it was stupid but in a way, all those files she had collected over the years had made her feel close to them. It was like her version of a photo.

'Skye? We've got a mission, come on get up.' Coulson kicked her bed. She moaned and pulled her sheets up over her head to drown him out. He just sighed and grabbed the blanket, pulling it off of her and taking it with him out the door. She lay there on her bed in nothing but a pair of underwear and a bra, wondering how much Coulson saw. Every task she did from dressing to tying her shoelaces, felt like someone else was doing it. Her head felt like it was filled with cotton wool while it took her eyes a moment to catch up with her surroundings if she moved too quickly.

'Well you look like hell.' May said as she walked by. Skye had only taken one step out of her bunk. She went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying while her nose looked raw and her skin looked clammy. She did her best to cover it, putting blush on her cheeks and eyeliner on. Her hair looked disheveled and all over the place but brushing it seemed like too much effort. Her hand rested on the door handle, knowing that once she got out there, she would have to deal with Ward ignoring her. Not to mention the hurt puppy dog looks from Fitz and Simmons. She closed her eyes and tried to find her center of balance. Perhaps she should go grab something to eat, she was so dizzy she might vomit. But if she ate something she was afraid it might come straight back up. In the end May knocked on the door. It turns out they couldn't wait for her any longer and they had gone. Skye and May were to travel to the sight of impact, whatever that meant.

The car ride was quiet, May didn't seem too angry with her but Skye knew better than to ask about the others. It was better to keep quiet on this one.

'This is it.' May stated and got out of the car, not waiting for Skye who had to jog to catch up.

They were on a busy street in India and people stared as Skye got out of the car. It was the only vehicle in sight. Everywhere she looked, people with hollow and vacant expressions haggled and shouted prices and greetings. Children's clothes hung off of their skinny frames while trying in vain to grab a loaf of stale bread from one of the street vendors. Skye pushed her way through the crowd until she found May again.

'Wow. What did this?' She asked in awe.

'A person.' May said. There was a half melted land rover on the street in front of them. And not melted as in it had been set on fire by villagers. Melted as in ice cream on a sunny day. Hardened metal pooled on the sandy floor around the car's wheels. How could a person do this? This had to be the work of a blowtorch. The hot midday sun shone down on the metal and reflected in Skye's eyes, blinding her momentarily. She slipped a little and put her hand on May to stop herself from falling.

'What's wrong with you? You're walking like a drunken person.' May said.

'I probably should have eaten something before leaving.' Skye mumbled. May looked worried for a moment but the expression vanished in a flash. She put a hand on Skye's shoulder firmly but friendly and pushed her away.

'Go get something to eat. There's an outdoor cafe just up the street. You're no help to me acting like a drunk clown.' Skye nodded gratefully and turned slowly to hobble up the street through the crowds, thinking of doughnuts and coffee.

'Coulson? It's me, May. Yeah I sent her to go get food she looked like crap. I am keeping an eye on her! I'm not her babysitter Coulson, if that's why you brought me on this mission then I'm going home.' May talked loudly into her phone. The crowd had gotten rowdier and had started pushing and shoving.

'There isn't any evidence leftover here. I heard one of the locals with a little English say, 'girl of lightening'. God only knows what we're dealing with. Ok, I'll be-' May was cut off by a huge eruption up the street. People were thrown in the air and landed on roofs and on top of other people. She hung up on Coulson and ran into the crowd, toward the explosion and toward Skye.

'Hey, do you sell doughnuts here?' Skye asked the man behind the counter. It was more of a shack with a couple of benches around it but if he sold coffee and sweet treats, she was _so_ there. The man shrugged his shoulders and spoke a foreign language that Skye couldn't catch. She pointed to something that looked sugary and then mimed eating it so he would understand. He nodded and smiled, looking for a napkin to put it in. Skye handed him a bunch of change and told him to keep the rest before she turned to walk away, licking sugar dust off her fingers. The area was very crowded but it was so beautiful. All sorts of coloured scarves and dresses hung from the roofs of street vendors carts while the smell of cooking rose on the air, making Skye's stomach rumble. Just as she was about to take a bite of the glorious smelling treat, she was distracted by something to her left. A man who looked out of place like her, in military gear was running away from an upturned table. Without thinking, Skye grabbed the two children playing in front of her and pulled them toward her so her back was facing the table just as it exploded.

'Are you ok?' She asked the children through coughs. They spoke no English but looked afraid. They ran away screaming while Skye lay on the ground coughing in pain. She barely felt the hand on her neck but screamed in pain when the hand lifted her limp body off the ground.

'You are SHIELD.' The voice commanded more so than asked.

'So what?' Skye spat at him. He took this as a yes and let Skye go. She crumpled into a ball on the ground, moaning as pain immediately shot through her like an arrow. Two sets of hands grabbed her arms and legs and lifted her up. She was thrown roughly into the back of a rumbling vehicle that set off straight away. All she could think of was the sugary pastry that she hadn't even got to taste.


	2. Chapter 2

May did her best not to knock the disorientated passer-by's over as she ran toward the source of the rapidly dispersing smoke. There was no flames which was good but May cursed as she saw Skye being thrown roughly into the back of a waiting military grade truck. It had already sped off by the time May had waded her way through the thick crowd. She spotted a child not too far away holding a leather jacket that looked very like the one Skye had been carrying.

'Where did you get that jacket?' May asked the scared child in perfect Indian.

'The girl who saved my brother and I, she dropped it. The big man took her.' The child replied, tear tracks glistening on his dirt stained face.

May groaned at the perfect timing. Coulson had decided to ring back.

'What the hell was that? Are you ok?' Coulson asked frantically.

'I am but Skye's gone. It was a smoke bomb you heard. Looks like a military operation but something here isn't right. I'll meet you back at the bus.' May hung up without waiting for a reply. Something had caught her eye. She walked over to an upturned table and picked up the shining device that had caught her attention. She was right, this wasn't military. This device looked far too expensive and new to be military. God only knows what they were doing with Skye.  
-

Skye woke up with a start. She tried to raise a hand to her throbbing neck but found she couldn't. Upon further inspection, she realised her wrists and ankles were tied down to what looked like an operating table. Her clothes were stained purple from the smoke earlier and her brand new jeans had been ripped at the knees. Whoever did this would pay. She groaned in pain as her neck clicked loudly in her ear. Though she noticed she felt slightly more refreshed. There had been a drip attached to her hand.

'Tell me your name.' A man called from behind her. She couldn't see him but heard him moving. She heard the slap of rubber gloves being put on and the clinking of glass on metal.

'Why should I?' She spat back at him. He just laughed which made her more angry about the fact he hid from her line of sight.

'Good question. I suppose it doesn't matter. You work for SHIELD, that much matters. You don't seem smart enough to be one of their scientists so you must be one of Coulson's dim-witted agents he surrounds himself with.' The man goaded.

'Hey! Leave Coulson out of this. You would let me go if you knew what was good for you. I wouldn't want to get on SHIELD's bad side. You should see the last guy who got on SHIELD's bad side.' Skye said dramatically.

'Too late for that. Project centipede seems to already be on SHIELD's bad side.'

Skye tried not to seem shocked but her face betrayed her. Finally the man revealed himself. He had a threatening scar running from his forehead down through his eye and stopping at his nose. It looked raw and puckered, as if he had only received this recently.

'What happened to your face?' Skye asked.

'The last person I gave this injection to didn't like it very much. But that's what the straps are for.' He tapped the skin on Skye's inner elbow and readied the injection in his right hand. She held her breath and looked away hoping she didn't scream.

'Oh. I'm Doctor Green by the way.' He smiled malevolently and stuck her with the needle.  
-

Where could she possibly be?' Jemma asked no one in particular. She was pacing the lab trying to think what Skye would do in this situation. Fitz was trying to get her to stop pacing and have a cup of tea to calm her nerves. "What nerves?" She had asked him angrily and he quickly shut up.

'Tell us again May, who was it?' Fitz asked. May jumped down off the lab counter top and rolled her eyes in frustration. They were getting nowhere and fast.

'I don't know Fitz. I'm just telling you my theories. Stop taking everything so literally.'

'Calm down you three. Anger isn't helping the situation.' Coulson said. Ward was noticeably absent. As soon as he heard the news he stormed off. He refused to answer any of their calls and directly disobeyed Coulson's orders to stay on the bus.

'Look, it's three in the morning and Fitz you're in your pyjamas. Go to bed. I'll call you all if anything new comes up.' Coulson ushered them all up the stairs while he went to pour himself a brandy. He was in for a long night.  
-

Coulson was having a nightmare when he was woken up by May. He couldn't recall what was happening but one look at May told him there were more important things happening.

'Did you stay up all night?' May asked him incredulously. He shrugged his shoulders and yawned widely. May was picking bits of strewn paper and cups half filled with coffee up and inspecting them with a vague look of disgust.

'We can talk about your cleanliness later. Right now Ward is in the cargo hold. You're going to want to see who he has with him.' May took in a deep breath and half smiled before turning on her heels and leaving him to try order his findings. He didn't even bother putting a clean shirt on, whatever was down there could be related to Skye's disappearance and was urgent. He was sure people could forgive him for a little coffee stain and the odd crease.

Coulson almost did a double take. Ward, Simmons and Fitz stood in a semi-circle around a child of about ten and they were all talking.

'Excuse me? Is there not a rule about children on the bus?' Coulson demanded, his lack of sleep catching up on him and making him cranky.

'This girl isn't exactly a normal child sir. All of those atmospheric disturbances? I tracked them down to her. It took me a while and I had to call in a few favours but I found her. Sir this is Gajra. Gajra, this is the commanding officer of this SHIELD team. You can call him Coulson.'

Gajra extended her hand to Coulson who looked rather shocked. When he brought his hand up to shake hers he immediately retracted it. She had given him an electric shock.

'I am sorry. I cannot yet control it, sometimes it gets the better of me.' Gajra smiled guiltily.

'I'm sorry, what does?'

'My power. I'm afraid I have bad news about your friend also.' Gajra informed the group.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hi all! Glad you're all enjoying the story so far. It's great to get such awesome feedback! This is unfortunately a short chapter. More will be coming tomorrow and that's a promise! I love writing this story so much and all the positive comments and follows make me want to write it even more! You guys are great, thanks for reading!**

'So they tracked you down to here and experimented on you?' Coulson asked. Gajra nodded and Simmons gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

'That's just awful! To think they've stooped to experimenting on children now!' She said, shocked.

Ward was off to one side, only half listening to Gajra explain her story for the second time. She had filled him in on their car ride back to the bus. It hadn't been easy convincing her to come with him. She was understandably shaken after what she had gone through. Ward shuddered, thinking what awful experiments they could be doing to Skye right now. He had to get her back. Even if it was just so that her last encounter with him wasn't so frosty. He felt so guilty for freezing her out of his life the past week. He felt even guiltier that he expected everyone to do the same. He knew that Jemma wanted to talk to her but was afraid of him. He needed to tell Skye that he… that he what? He thought of her as family? Because he didn't. It wasn't like that between them. They felt like old friends. He felt like he had known her all his life and he wasn't giving up. They would find her or die trying. Or something like that, hopefully it wouldn't resort to death because he would really like to see her again.

'Ward?' Coulson knocked him out of his thoughts.

'Yeah?' He replied, making his way over to the rest of the group. Jemma had brought Gajra to get some food.

'That's the fourth time I called you. Are you thinking about her?' Coulson asked.

'How can I not think about her? All I do is think about her! Night and day, twenty four seven she's on my mind!' He vented. When he looked around him he saw they were all staring at him with slack jaws.

'I mean, since she's been missing of course.' Ward turned a bright shade of red.

'Well Gajra gave us quite a bit to go on. I'll go into the lab and get to work.' Leo said, clapping his hands together to diffuse the awkwardness that had descended on the room. Coulson left for his office so it was just Ward and May.

'You're doing everything you can.' She said. He was grateful she had stayed. Ward felt a kinship to May. They were alike in so many ways.

'Everything just isn't good enough. She deserves more. Just think what they could be doing to her May! You heard Gajra, they exploited her power. They injected her with so much serums and potions that she almost combusted. And when they decided they were done with her they just dumped her on the side of the road. I can't let that happen to Skye.' His voice almost cracked at the end but he covered it with a cough.

'Gajra's powers returned to her though. Look I'm sure they just want her as bait to lure us in. They're probably not doing anything to her.' May tried to reassure him, putting a friendly hand on his shoulder.

'You think so?' He asked sarcastically, with a smile. She returned it and replied, 'I'd put money on it.'  
-

'When will we find out if it worked?' A small, nervous man asked Doctor Green. The older Doctor tapped on the computer screen and looked through the vital signs displayed in front of him.

'Everything looks good and in order. She should wake up within an hour or so and we'll find out. But don't doubt the process Mr Verdean. It will work.' Green grinned and showed off his shining teeth.

'But what then? Why did we pick her when there were others to choose from.' Verdean asked in confusion.

'It's simple. SHIELD needs to be thought a lesson. If they mess with us, we mess with them. What better way to teach them a lesson than by making one of their own turn on them? It's perfect.' Green said.

'Do you even know who she is? Is she of any value to their team?'

'I have a contact in the rising tide. He said there was a girl who switched sides to SHIELD matching her description. Her name is Skye. From what I gather, she is a very valuable asset to their team.'

Just as Verdean was about to leave, Skye started to wake up. Green gathered himself quickly and went into the room. Verdean continued to watch from behind the one way mirror.

'Hello Skye. I am Doctor Green.' He said. She remained quiet and stared at him in interest. Green shared a quick smile with the mirror where he knew Verdean was watching avidly.

'You may speak now.' He said.

'Hello sir.' She replied in monotone. Green could have clapped his hands in glee. He had succeeded. He had made the perfect soldier. She would obey his every command.

'Turn your head.' He commanded her and she obliged, moving her hair out of the way. He tapped on the metal device sticking out of her neck. Everything seemed in order. As long as the device remained attached to her, she would obey his every command.

'Rest now Skye. Your first mission will come soon. SHIELD won't know what hit them.' Green said.


	4. Chapter 4

'Anything new?' Ward asked as he entered the lab. Fitz was fiddling around with the computer, looking at maps while Simmons was being shown Gajra's power. She held the small girls hand in her own in awe.

'It's simply marvellous!' She declared, 'Show me again.' Gajra snapped her fingers and a lightning bolt, just a small one, snapped to life in her hand. It seemed contained but when she touched the metal sheet Simmons handed her it melted as if it were Ice cream on a hot plate. Gajra used her other hand and blew on it then touched the metal and it cooled instantly.

'You are a walking weather girl! Literally!' Simmons sounded like a kid in a candy shop and it irritated Ward.

'Simmons! Do you have anything new?' He yelled. The woman looked over to him, startled.

'Um… Yes. No. Wait, I've been decrypting codes found in the smoke bomb device. I think they were left there as a clue.'

'We had that four hours ago! I said if you had anything new!' He shouted in frustration.

'Hey! Don't shout at her. She'd done nothing to you.' Leo stood between the pair. Ward was just about to skulk out of the room without saying good bye when Coulson came in. He looked as haggard as Ward felt. His normally pristine suit had coffee stains and pen marks on it.

'We got something. They tried to take her bracelet off and SHIELD was notified. They sent us the GPS coordinates.' May stormed past Coulson while he explained and started the van.

'Well? Are you all just going to stand there or is anyone coming?' She said. Jemma stayed with Gajra in the Bus but everyone else hopped into the van and without a second's delay, May shot backwards off the ramp.  
-

'They found us Doctor Green. They're coming.' One of his numerous soldiers reported to him.

'Good. It's about times we shook things up a bit. Have you been in contact with our agent?' Green asked.

'Yes sir. Everything is going to plan.' The soldier saluted him then resumed his duty at the computer screen.

'Excellent soldier. Come with me Skye, we have to prepare you for your family reunion.' He chuckled.

'Yes sir.' Skye replied in monotone.  
-

May motioned to the others to stay back. She listened at the doors for a moment then kicked them open, expertly breaking them clean off their hinges. Ward will never cease to be impressed by how blasé she made that look. She didn't even break a sweat as she took down the four guards at the entrance. At least Ward got to knock a few skulls at the next level. He couldn't let her have all the fun after all.

'Left. Ok… This one! It's this door.' Leo said. He was using a tablet with a 3D map of the inner rooms in the building that he took off one of the guards downstairs. There was just the one room marked as a lab. They all figured Skye would be in there. That was where Gajra was kept after all. May didn't even hesitate in knocking the door down. The room inside was well lit with fluorescents that flickered on and off, showing the room in a sickly colour. Right in the centre of the room was Skye. Her head lulled against her chest and her hands and ankles were tied down but other than that Ward couldn't tell if there was anything hugely wrong with her. She looked fine.

A doctor walked out of a door on the far side of the room holding a tray full of injections. He dropped the tray with a clatter when he saw them staring.

'Wh-who are you?' He asked with a stutter.

'SHIELD. I believe you have something of ours.' Coulson said. In one swift movement, May was leaping over Ward to the Doctor. Ward was running toward Skye to help her free. Coulson held the Night-night gun up and ready to shoot at anyone who came through the door. Leo just tried to stay out of the way.

'Skye? It's me, Grant.' Ward held her face in his hands, trying to wake her. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled weakly.

'Ward. You came. I told him you would.' She breathed. He got her free and helped her across the room. May was dealing with the Doctor who was quiet compliant, so it seemed.

'Coulson?' Ward said as he came closer to the older man. He raised a questioning eyebrow.

'Did this seem a little easy to you?' Ward asked. Coulson was about to answer when he was pushed five feet backwards off the ground and into the wall behind him.

He was still trying to catch his breath when he looked up to see Skye choking Ward then throwing him to the other side of the room with ease. Leo stared in awe at his friends who had been thrown around so easily.

'Em…Skye? What are you doing?' Fitz asked timidly. She turned toward him and stared. He felt a shiver go down his spine. Whoever this person was, it certainly wasn't Skye anymore. There was no way Skye would have looked at him with that much hatred. She started toward him and grabbed his shirt, turning him in toward her. Before he knew what had happened, she had his gun in her hand and it was trained at his head. May had the Doctor in cuffs and was staring with that non-expression of hers. The Doctor laughed.

'What did you do to her? How are you controlling her?' May shook him.

'Oh _I'm_ not! I'm just the sponsor, Dr Verdean. The _real_ Doctor is over there.' He pointed behind Skye at the man holding the tablet computer waving at them from the doorway.

'Greetings SHEILD. What an honour it is, truly. I see you've met my little experiment here. Skye say hello.' Doctor Green ordered and tapped his computer screen.

'Hello.' She replied, not showing any signs that she recognised her friends or that she planned on letting Leo go.

'What did you do to her?' Leo asked.

'Show them your hardware Skye.' The Doctor commanded. She immediately pushed Leo away and moved her hair from her neck, giving them all a view of the worm-like metal creature coming out of her neck at the hairline and going back in a few inches down.

'Isn't she just delightful now? You should have seen her before. "Watch it big man, my friends will kick your ass".' He said in a high pitched imitation of Skye's voice.

'That. Sounded. Nothing. Like her.' Ward enunciated every word clearly. He emerged from behind May and Verdean, his jacket covered in cuts and dust from the wall he crashed into. His face was veiled with masked pain and anger and also a little blood dribbling from the corner of his lip. Green rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

'Whatever, let's just get this over with. Skye, kill.' He ordered and typed the command into his tablet. Ward was sure she wouldn't do it. Leo was half sure and May assumed a fighting stance.

'Yes sir.' She said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: So hey guys! Thanks for all the great comments once again :) It's been awesome writing this story and hearing that someone out there likes it! It looks like the next chapter might be the last :( But I just wanted to thank you so much for reading it, following or commenting it. You guys are the best! Oh and a special shout out to MusicAngel98 for her extra special review :P Hopefully you won't have to dig my grave and bury me now!**

'No, Skye. We're your friends.' Ward said slowly and using his hands to gesture to himself, Coulson, May and Leo.

'Forget about that Ward. You come up with a plan. I'll fight her off.' May said and ran toward Skye, aiming a kick at the girl's stomach. It would have landed too but Skye's reflexes were just too fast. She grabbed May's foot and snapped it to the side. May fell with a grunt, unable to get back up until she set her foot back into place.

'Leo, have any bright ideas?' Ward asked in a slightly manic voice, preparing to take Skye on next.

'I'll fight her next.' Coulson stated, stepping in front of Ward and rolling up his sleeves. Skye tried to punch him but he predicted the move and side stepped it. She got him the next time though, and it was the side of the head.

'Well, it would be a risk to disconnect the device straight from her neck; it could be connected to nerves and cells in her brain. We touch it, it goes kablooey.' Leo explained to Ward in simple English for the whole team's benefit.

'Right. So we need the tablet from the Doctor.' Ward stated while Leo just nodded sadly, thinking about who had to fight Skye next. Coulson went down in the next blow. She threw him into a wall like she did to Ward. Taking a deep knowing breath, Ward stepped forward to fight the girl he didn't want to hurt. All he could do was hope Leo got to the Doctor before either of them did something they would regret.

'Skye, listen to me. I know you're in there somewhere. You can fight this, I believe you can.' Ward said but Skye showed no sign of stopping. She strode forwards, an evil shine in her eyes that said she meant to hurt him. He had no other choice. He kicked her in the knee and side slammed her neck. She was strong though and evaded the neck hit just enough to head butt Ward in the face. Immediately blood gushed from his face, spraying Skye in the process. She looked like she was in a Tarantino film. She had broken his nose and but from the looks of it, he had broken her knee. She was limping now but it did little to deter her.

'Leo? Are you getting anywhere?' Ward shouted as he avoided another punch aimed at his gut. His eyes were streaming now. Leo was wrestling the doctor near the door. Both men grappled for the tablet that controlled Skye.

'Just a minute Ward, we can't all be action men you know.' Leo grunted.

'Kill him Skye! Get it over with!' The Doctor yelled. Skye fought with renewed strength at the command of her controller.

'It hurts me so much to hurt you Skye. I can't do it anymore. You have to please fight whatever it is that is in you.' Ward pleaded. Skye stalled for a moment, her fist was pulled back behind her ready to punch him. She looked confused, staring at Ward as if she was remembering his face from somewhere. May used her momentary confusion to step up behind her and kick her in the back. She stumbled forward a few steps and May pulled her arm out of its socket. The old Skye would have screamed in agony but this new Skye just rolled her neck and started toward May. Ward kicked her bad leg out from under her so she fell to the ground. Then he sat on her and used his cuffs on her hands. He stepped off her and let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Before he could even say anything though there was a loud crash behind him. He swiveled around to see Coulson holding a fire hydrant in his hands and the crumpled form of the Doctor lying on top of Leo who struggled against the dead weight.

'Nice one.' Ward said. Coulson nodded and held out a hand to Leo.

'Now fix Skye.' Ward said to Leo. The smaller man picked the tablet up and fiddled around for a few seconds until he found the deactivate button. Immediately there was a hissing from Skye's neck as the device switched off and retracted itself from her neck. May flicked it off her.

'Is she ok?' Coulson asked to Ward who knelt down beside her, taking the cuffs off.

'Skye? Skye, can you hear me?' He asked, cupping her cheek in his bloodied hand. Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked slightly dazed.

'Whu-What happened? Ward! You're bleeding!' She said, shocked. When she tied to pull her hand up to his nose she hissed in pain.

'I wouldn't move that arm if I was you. May dislocated it.' He smiled down at her.

'I couldn't fight it Ward. I'm so sorry if I hurt you guys. He was too strong. I thought for a second… When I heard your voice, but it was gone. I'm so s-' Skye was on the verge of tears when Ward cut her off.

'You fought it Skye and now you're here and alive. That's all that matters.' Ward held her hand in his and gazed down at her, smiling like a lunatic. Skye looked around at her battered and bruised friends.

'Where's Simmons?' She asked.

'Back at the bus with Gajra. She's the girl who escaped from here.' Coulson informed her. Skye immediately tried to get up, looking alarmed.

'No. No, we have to get back now!' She said, fighting against Ward who kept pushing her back down.

'What's wrong? The Doctor's knocked out and you're fine.' Ward said.

'No you idiot! Gajra had the device thingy in her too. She's their secret agent on the inside and she led you here to fight me. Now she has Simmons and who knows what her orders are.' Skye said. They all shared a worried look before Fitz said, 'Right, everyone up. We're saving my- I mean, Jemma.'

'Can you walk?' Ward asked as he helped Skye onto her feet. She took one step and almost passed out from the pain.

'Was I really that strong? You had to dislocate my shoulder _and_ break my leg?' She asked in disbelief as Ward picked her up to hurry the process along.

'Hey, you're the one who threw me across a room and broke my nose.' He argued.

'Wow. I hope I get to keep some of that strength. I'll kick this Gajra girl's ass if she hurts Simmons.'

'Em. She's ten years old and she can melt metal.' Ward replied.

'Oh. Well May is probably up to the job.' Skye said. Ward smiled, knowing that _his_ Skye was back. The one he had grown to care for.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Good news for those who like my writing I suppose! This isn't the last chapter! Enjoy.**

The journey back was no easy task. May decided it would be best if she drove since everyone was so banged up and she had set her leg back into place earlier. Coulson took it upon himself to calm Fitz down. He was so worried about Simmons, as was everyone else but what harm could one ten year old girl do? Skye didn't even want to think about it. She knew first-hand what that _thing_ felt like. She knew how powerless it made you, how strong she felt. I mean come on, she_ broke_ May's foot and threw Ward and Coulson across a room! Fitz had brought one of the computer tablets with him when he left, hoping Gajra's neck device would connect to it and they could just shut it off but Skye told them Gajra's was designed differently. Her commands were pre-recorded so that the Doctor wouldn't have to update it with commands like he had to with Skye's. The only way to turn it off was to get close enough to her to apply an electric pulse strong enough to short wire the thing long enough to pull it out without killing the girl. The biggest flaw in the plan seemed to be their hopes that they could even get near her. Skye was doubtful the team was up to it considering how badly she had hurt them all. Unintentionally of course.

'The plane's not in flames so maybe her orders haven't come through yet. We still have time.' Ward announced, his voice dripping in hope and wishing.

'If she sees Skye it might trigger something. Maybe she should wait down in cargo.' May said, looking at Fitz to stay with her.

'No. I want to come and help. Besides I know more about the device than any of you. You need me to disable it.' Skye said, trying to stand without Ward's help and keep a determined expression on her face. She could do this, she owed it to Simmons who never lost faith in her.

'Fine, she comes. Stay at the back with Fitz. We'll cover you both in case she tries anything.' Coulson amended.

Fitz looked put out at the fact that he was asked to stay in the back with the injured girl but there was something else in his expression. Skye sensed he was hiding something but she didn't say anything.

With that, the five of them walked onto the plane, trying to hide their injuries and look as strong as they could.

'Does it feel colder to anyone?' Ward asked. Coulson shared a look with May and both said in unison 'Gajra.'

May led the team up the spiral staircase and into the main part of the bus. It wasn't immediately obvious at first where Gajra was but the team saw Simmons on one of the couches. The whole place looked like a walk in freezer and it felt like one too. Wisps of steam swam through the air as it left their mouths. Every available surface gleamed with a shiny layer of ice. Simmons had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders but it didn't look as though it was doing anything for her to keep her warm. Her lips were practically blue and icicles hung off her skin with a long one on the end of her nose. Tears had frozen solid half way down her cheeks. The whole bus felt like the North Pole, despite the thirty degree heat right outside.

'Buh-buh-hi—'Simmons stammered, trying to get the words through her frozen lips. It was so clichéd. Like a puppet theatre moment where the audience scream, 'She's behind you!' Unfortunately, they weren't in a play where the director could yell cut and the pain would end. This was real life and she really was behind them so Skye was the first to get hit. Being thrown against a wall that's five feet behind you is more painful than it sounds and Skye could attest to that. Now she knew what Coulson and Ward had felt like. All the air in her lungs had been pushed out in one almighty shove so she was left there lying in pain on the carpeted floor gasping like a fish out of water for air. Perhaps it was a good thing though since she had landed beside Simmons. 

Ward swore his heart stopped when he saw her sailing through the air right until he saw her twitching on the ground. Damn that serum must be strong if it gave a ten year old the strength of an elephant. Or two elephants. He turned back to Gajra who displayed little emotion on that tiny pinched face of hers. She was just a little girl, he may kill people but Ward had ethics too. May had already started fighting the girl though. Clearly she had no qualms about gut punching a child.

'Ward. Little help.' May said evenly, not even fighting for breath though clearly Gajra had the upper hand. Coulson was helping Fitz up after Gajra had ploughed through him when she knocked Skye back. He had to physically restrain Fitz from running straight to Simmons who hadn't moved an inch though her eyes betrayed her fright.

Sk-Sk-…Eye…' Simmons stammered slowly, trying to get out a sentence and failing miserably. Skye scooted over to her, still catching her breath and patted her cold hand, holding it firmly.

'We'll get you out of this.' She said in a voice stronger than she had meant to sound. She felt as though she was protecting a sister from injury, though her own injuries were just about bearable. It was all she could do not to pass out on top of the frozen icicle that was Simmons.

'I need something to start the electric shock.' Fitz almost screamed into his superior officers face, who took it remarkably well.

'One quick question. With all this ice, melting ice might I add. Isn't starting an electric shock on the electric girl kind of a bad idea?' Coulson asked.

'Gajra will ground the electricity in her and hopefully it won't kill the rest of us.' Fitz explained in a rush, avoiding eye contact.

'Hopefully?' Coulson said.

'There are always a few risks.' Fitz argued but Coulson stopped him, 'Do what you have to do.' He said firmly.

'I need a lamp.' Fitz decided after a moment.


	7. Chapter 7

**This is it guys! Final chapter and the end of the story. *nervous laughter* I hope you guys love the ending as much as I do. Especially the last encounter. I loved writing it. Sorry if the technical mumbo jumbo sounded stupid, but that's just because it was mumbo jumbo. :P ANyway I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!**

'I can't… Do this… Much longer.' Ward got out between breaths. They had their work cut out for them, both fighting together against Gajra. They were evenly matched for the moment but she didn't seem to be tiring out and they were.

'Fitz? Got anything?' May grunted.

'One minute! Hold your horse's woman. I'm working with electricity surrounded by water here.' Fitz argued.

'Need anything?' Skye shouted over to Fitz, desperate to make herself useful and redeem herself.

'No—Wait! Yes! Go into my room, find the pliers with the rubber handle. I'm going to need an insulator if I'm to go near this conductor.' Fitz said the last part more so to himself. Skye hadn't a clue what he was talking about anyway, what even was an insulator? A warm blanket?

She made her way to his room as quickly as she could given that the floor was an ice rink and she had a bad leg.

'Found them! Now what?' She asked, handing him the pliers. Fitz had ruined the lamp she had always liked that stood by the bar. He had chopped off the plug and a length of cord so that the wires were exposed. Skye almost touched them but Fitz stopped her.

'Don't do that you ninny. You'll shock yourself.' He scolded her.

Ward was slowing down considerably now. His left eye was seized shut from a blinding punch Gajra threw at him and he had a throbbing headache. Nothing that an aspirin couldn't fix. He was about to throw himself into the ring again when Gajra picked up May by the arm and swung her into Ward, knocking them both down like bowling pins. Ward made to shout for Coulson but almost chocked on his own tongue when Fitz climbed onto Gajra, screaming bloody murder.

'No one does that to my friend!' He shouted in a Fitz-fuelled rage. Who knew which friend he was talking about? He held the plug wires in his hand with the live brown wire twisted outwards, he plunged it into the ten year olds neck. Automatically there was a zap and blinding light bigger than anyone had expected, especially Fitz. It could have been the electricity in Gajra herself or the device in her neck was more powerful than they had anticipated but all they knew or cared was that Gajra had stopped trying to kill them. She was picking herself up from the pieces of the table she had broken in her fall but otherwise seemed unharmed and somewhat fazed.

Fitz on the other hand wasn't getting up and celebrating their survival. Coulson walked over and felt his neck.

'No pulse. No! Damn you Leo!' Coulson pounded on the floor and looked around panicked at the group before starting CPR. Simmons stared in horror, hobbling over as quickly as her frozen limbs would allow her.

She made a horrible choking noise that could only be described as an animal being tortured.

'Leo!' She called in a whispered cry. Skye held her just as she was about to crumple. May thrust the medical supplies that came on the bus toward Coulson but he kept going in a constant and hypnotic motion, pushing down on the injured man's chest. Gajra stumbled through and knelt down beside Coulson and Fitz. She had tears in her eyes when she reached her small hand down to touch Fitz's fuzzy cheek.

'He saved me.' She said quietly. Simmons was sobbing loudly now, soaking Skye's shirt and shaking quiet badly. Ward and Skye shared a look with each other over everyone. His eyebrows were knitted together in concern for the man that had become almost a brother to him. Skye swore she saw a tear in his eyes but then again she couldn't see very well through her own swimming eyes.

'I must repay the favour.' Gajra stated. She moved Coulson's hands back gently and the heaving man complied, breathing heavily and not knowing where to look or what to do. She put a hand to Fitz's chest and zapped him with one of her electric shocks. His limp body jumped in response and lay back as unmoving as ever. Gajra grunted and rubbed her hands together.

'It's no good.' Coulson said, his voice utterly broken. Gajra hit him again, harder this time and directly where his heart was. Fitz gasped for air, filling his lungs with the oxygen they craved so badly. His eyes shot open and darted around the room, resting on Simmons broken figure.

'What's wrong?' He gasped. No one could answer him, they were all either too choked up with emotion or simply too shocked that their dead friend was suddenly alive again.

'I'm so glad you're alive.' Simmons cried, kneeling down beside Fitz with Skye's help.

'Well why wouldn't I be? I had to see your stupid face again, didn't I?' He laughed weakly, his cheeks reddening. Simmons smiled and bit her lip softly, her fingers wandering to Fitz's shirt collar, soaked with melted ice. She didn't want to talk just then. She didn't want to tell him how happy she was he wasn't dead. She just wanted to kiss him. So she did. Fitz raised his eyebrows in shock but didn't pull away.

'Finally.' May said, breaking the silence and making everyone laugh.  
-

'Thank you for finding my family. I have not seen my mother and father in almost a year.' Gajra told them all. They were standing in the airport, a car was waiting to take Gajra back to her home where her family waited eagerly to see her again.

'Anytime.' Ward smiled and shook the girl's hand. Skye rolled her eyes at Ward's formalness and gave the girl a hug.

'I'm glad you're ok. I know what it was like in there and…' Skye shuddered rather than finish her sentence. Gajra just nodded solemnly.

'You don't need to say sorry again, I know it wasn't you.' Simmons said before Gajra even opened her mouth. The young girl smiled widely and hugged Simmons, thanking her for everything.

'I should be thanking you! Fitz would have been here…' She said.

'He's still in hospital, I know. We shall let him rest. Tell him I said good bye. Well then. Thank you everyone. Tell Coulson and May I wished them well.' Gajra said then got in the car that started to drive off before the door was even closed.

The three agents turned back toward the bus, Ward with his arm on Skye's back to help her.

'It's just crutches Ward.' She said with a smile, rolling her eyes dramatically.

'It's called a helping hand, take one when it's offered.' Ward taunted in a playful voice.

Simmons skipped ahead and turned around to say, 'Look at you too, bickering like an old married couple.' She gave Skye a wink then turned and walked ahead to the bus, hoping to get one last visit to Fitz in before calling it a night.

'She seems to have healed up well.' Ward stated. Skye nodded in agreement.

'Yeah you wouldn't think she was in the early stages of hypothermia only a few days ago.'

Ward rolled his eyes at her dramatic tone which made her laugh.

'I'm glad you're feeling better too.' He said, all the laughter gone from his voice.

'Yeah. It's been a tough week I suppose. You know I never said thanks. For saving me and stuff.' She said.

'It scared me more than I care to admit. When you were missing, I mean. I don't want to go through that again.' He shivered beside her.

'What? An evil doctor kidnapping and experimenting on me? I'll try not to let it happen.' She joked.

Ward stopped in his tracks, grabbing her arm so she would turn and face him. His expression was pained.

'No, I mean I don't want you to leave. I like the person I am when I'm around you. You make me feel like a better person.' He said, pulling her closer to him. She lost her breath for a second at his sudden nearness.

'I could say the same thing about you.'

'Well then say it. Say you won't leave, or vanish in the night. Don't abandon me.' His voice was tough and yearning.

'I would never _ever_ abandon you Ward. I promise.' She grabbed his arm so he would know how serious she was. He smiled down at her, taking her hair out from behind her ear and messing it up on her head to make her laugh. Suddenly they weren't laughing, they were kissing. And a better kiss Skye could not remember.


End file.
